All posts filed under: Restaurants

Aperitivo at L’Anima

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L’Anima has been on my radar for a few years, ever since Francesco Mazzei taught me how to make pizza at a bloggers event and it is one of those restaurants that despite being desperate to visit I have just never made it. It’s no secret that Italian flavours are my favourite – fresh tomatoes, pillowy dough, creamy cheese, fresh cured meats. The list goes on. Aperitivo is one of the latest crazes to sweep the London restaurant scene and L’Anima is now offering a range of aperitivi cocktails, which are served with one specially prepared small plate. We visited the bar a couple of weeks ago to try a few cocktails and dishes. L’Anima is part restaurant, part bar and the large space is split in two by a large glass window – the long bar on the right and the restaurant on the left. I saw similarities to one of my favourite cafes, Princi in Soho, and shortly after I noticed it became apparent that Francesco and his team were consultants on the …

Lazybones, Farringdon

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2012 was the year of meat. It rode into London in all its glory and captured the hearts of, well, most of the capital. Leading the way were MeatLiquor, Pitt Cue Co and Pizza East owned Chicken Shop. Us carnivorous Londoners were so caught up in the meaty movement and it was inevitable that others would follow. Independent burger and chicken restaurants popped up all over and captured the imagination of home cooks, supper club owners and restaurant dreamers. One of the newest meaty restaurants to take the up and coming foodie area of Farringdon is Lazybones. Situated just off Cowcross Street, Lazybones is a restaurant / bar, or should I say bar / restaurant? After visiting last week I’m not sure which I would put first. But I liked that about it. We grabbed a table in the middle of the room and perused the menus before ordering at the bar. We were provided with paper cups and straws, which we were told we could fill as many times as we wanted from the …

Asia de Cuba Dim Sum Brunch

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I’m no stranger to brunch. I might even go as far as to say that it is my favourite meal of the day. And it’s even better if someone else makes it for you. My favoutites are eggs baked in chorizo, banana bread and pancakes with blueberry compote to name a few. I have a sweet tooth so anything sweet and cakey usually does the trick. A few of my university friends used to go to Chinatown for a Dim Sum brunch on a Sunday but I never joined them and until last weekend I never thought it was a good option. I popped to Asia de Cuba at St Martin’s Lane hotel on Sunday at midday to enjoy a range of dim sum dishes and cocktails while listening to a live Cuban band. We opted for a sashimi selection to start, which consisted of grouper with seville orange and aji amarillo, prawn, snapper and ‘confit’ watermelon, Scottish salmon and salted avocado helado and curried kingfish and passion fruit. We enjoyed all four dishes but …

Salaam Namaste

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I love exploring new areas of London. Just when I think I know it all, another beautiful neighbourhood etches a glorious image in my head forever. I was due to visit Salaam Namaste on Friday evening and caught the bus from work before walking through the back streets lined with tall trees, Georgian townhouses and pretty pubs full to the brim with local workers, I guessed lawyers working nearby. Friday evening is one of my favourite evenings to enjoy a meal out. It signals the end to a busy week and gives me the opportunity to wind down and look forward to the weekend whilst enjoying some delicious grub. I had heard good things about Salaam Namaste. The Guardian gave it 9 out of 10 in a review and it came highly rated from a friend. The restaurant provides guests with a menu from all regions of India and I was intrigued as it was unlike any other Indian restaurant menu I had seen before. The Khasta Murgh – spicy chicken tikka pie with wild …

YO! Sushi Camden Celebrates 1st Birthday

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I remember the first time I ever visited YO! Sushi. My dad had promised my brother and I a culinary treat on one of our many escapades to London and as we made our way up to the Fifth Floor at Harvey Nichols, I was full of excitement. The fact that we could pick dishes at our own leisure from a moving conveyor belt provided much entertainment and I distinctly remembering our hands wavering over many a dish, scared that we were going to pick the wrong one and not be able to put it back. Fast forward a good few years, I can’t remember now many exactly but I would bet that it’s around 12, and I’m at YO! Sushi in Camden celebrating the restaurant’s first birthday. YO! Sushi hasn’t changed much in the last 12 years – the same conveyor belt carries freshly made sushi and hot dishes around the room and guests can still choose at their own leisure. And they do in their droves – the popularity sure hasn’t waned over …